Hogwarts, an ending
by Unknown-Poltroon
Summary: Draco goes to far. Its 2 years after the mage wars have ended, and they are all instructors/grad students at hogwarts.


Hogwarts, an ending.  
  
The morose meeting was in Dumbledore office. The five of them were in there, as they had been many a time before. Unlike times past, Hermione was weeping. She sat huddled, face in her hands, being held tightly by Ginny. The rest of them sat in stunned silence as Dumbledore finished speaking.  
  
"...so unfortunately, Hermione, all i can offer you is someone to talk to, and whatever medical care we have."   
  
Ron was the first to speak. "What do you mean the council can't prosecute?"  
  
Dumbledore was staring at his tightly clenched hands on his desk. "The councils position is, that, unfortunate as it may be, since Malfoy was not the one to place the spell on Hermione, and, according to her own testimony,, he gave no obvious indication of knowing she was under control of the .. "   
  
Ron blurted "Hes lying. We know it, they know it, EVERYONE BLOODY KNOWS IT!!"   
  
Dumbledore continued, belatedly "Ron, that may be true, but they can only go on the evidence in front of them. Which all says that legally, he used no magic, gave no indication of having known he was forcing her to do anything. Therefore the councils hands are tied."   
  
Ron was still on his feet. "So he goes free. After hat he did to her? Godsdamnt, Dumbledore how could you...."  
  
"Ron." Harry said quietly. His face was gray, his lips drained of any color, all except for his scar, which pulsed visibly with blood, almost glowing red in the softly lit room.  
  
"..let the council do this. Why didn't you do any......"  
  
"Ronald WEASLEY" said said Harry, the long years of command showing in his voice. Ron instantly closed his mouth. "Sit down" He said with a venom that only a parsel-tounge could muster. Ron sat.  
  
Harry waited a moment, looking at steepled fingers held before him. "Now Ron, this is our good friend and trusted ally Albus Dumbledore here. He doesn't deserve that."  
  
"but"  
  
"Shut up, Ron." The tone of command still ringing in his voice. 'This is the same Albus who stood by us against all comers in all our school days, and in the years since, isn't it?"  
  
"Yes, but...."  
  
"Shut up Ron. This is the same Albus who was the single point of light for all wizzardom in the dark years of the mage wars, who never wavered from his duty no matter how difficult it was, correct?"  
  
"Yes.."  
  
"This is the same Albus who never "officially" found out about the shadow ops we did together as Team Muggle. Despite the risk of Azkaban if we were found out, he covered for all the "cleanup" we did in the war when the council was unable to act against the surviving dark mages. Never noticed our actions despite the glaring evidence to the contrary"  
An image of harry with a shotgun and Hagrid, god rest his soul, with a flamethrower and full armor plate flashed through Rons mind.  
  
"Of course," Harry continued "there was a war on, and most questions weren't asked."   
  
Dumbledore still stared at his desk, a look of frustrated defeat on his wizened countenance.  
  
"yes...."  
  
"Is this same Albus, who in all the years that we've known him, never backed down from a fight? No matter how outnumbered, no matter how hopeless, no matter how many good people were dying to the left and right of him? Even when no one would have thought twice if he had chosen to flee?"  
  
Ron just stared sullenly at his feet. Ginny stared at the two of them. Hermione seemed largely oblivious to the outside world.  
  
"Then Ron, whatever makes you think that Albus Dumbledore chose this particular time to not try to move heaven and earth on our behalf?"  
  
"S-orry Albus, so sorry...."Ron mumbled clenching his forehead.   
  
"It understandable, Ron, perfectly understandable. You should have seen me at the council. I feel your rage also. Unfortunately, on the dealings with the council, my hands are tied. We are unable to even appeal it." This brought up another quiet sob from Hermione.  
  
"However, As headmaster emeritus of Hogwarts, I am not without certain. discresionary .... abilites in this situation, however slight they are in light of his grave actions. Henceforth, contrary to his plans of achieving a doctor of potions, he shall be summarily expell....."  
  
"No" Barked harry.   
  
His friends slowly turned to look at harry. Even Hermione forgot her grief briefly, in her sheer incredulity.   
  
Harry returned their gaze levelly. "Do you trust me?" Harry asked his friends  
"Yeah, harry but what..." Ron started, harry cut him off "Yes or no, Ron, Now."   
  
"Yes, Harry, of course, but.."  
  
"Shut up Ron" said Ginny "Yes Harry"  
  
Hermione nodded.  
  
"Thank you. " Harry turned back to Dumbledore.  
  
"Albus" Harry continued"You can't expel Mr. Malfoy. Shut up Ron" Harry preempted , without taking his eyes off of Dumbledore's intent stare. "The wizards council has found him innocent, and therefore, he has done nothing to merit an expulsion, shut up Ron". He locked eyes with dumbledore. The two of them stared at each other for an eternity.   
  
"Perhaps..., perhaps you are correct, Harry, Young Mr Malfoy has been found innocent by the council. And Hogwarts may be the best place for him to remain, since he would be at risk out in public. For, despite the verdict, there are evidently quite a few witches and wizards who feel differently about his actions. I daresay, some of them might be willing to risk Azkaban."  
  
"Yes. I know all about how good the wizards council magic forensics team is at ferreting out those who use magic against wizards and witches. Remember, I ran that council for a time. I know their methods. We were very good at what we did. No one who ever used magic to kill a fellow mage ever got away from us for long. More or less." Thats what team muggle was there for, he remembered. The ones that got away.  
  
"And we wouldn't want some poor wizard or witch to face the councils questioning, over an incident which is closed."   
  
Ginny and Ron didn't understand what was going on, but Ginny kept thinking that the looks didn't match the pleasant thoughtful timber of the voices.  
  
Harry spoke "In light of this discussion, therefore, I think it would be best if Draco Malfoy remained here at Hogwarts, and it be best that all this be forgotten." Hermione ran from the room in hysterics, followed by Ginny, who shot a look of knives at harry.  
  
"Forgotten!!"Ron leapt up. "Forgotten my ass, we cant let maloooffffffa" He collapsed, and harry removed his elbow from his solar plexus, all without taking his eyes off dumbledore.   
  
"No, Ron. Its agreed, Malfoy is to be allowed to stay, and he is not to be harassed by us in any way, or the council WILL prosecute us for improper use of magic. And I wouldn't want you to wind up in Azkerban."   
  
"Yes Ron, any use of magic to harm or assault Mr. Malfoy will be found out and punished severely by the council." Dumbledore said, nodding to Harry. He turned to look at Ron. Therefore, I forbid any of you to use any form of magic against Mr. Malfoy in revenge for this. Please let Hermione and Ginny know. Ginny Especially" Dumbledore rememebered her work for the inquisitors. "Actually, I will remind her personally. For that matter, you should both remind her. Repeatedly." Dumbledore shuddered. Dear sweet Ginny had never forgiven the death eaters the loss of her twin brothers at their hands. The council only turned the subjects over to her efforts as a last resort. Dumbledore often had nightmares about what she did with the eyeballs that one time. He dearly hoped he would never find out.   
  
Harry stood up, and dragged Ron up with him.  
  
"Thank you for your time Albus. We will of course,do our best to help Hermione through this. Shes strong. stronger than any of us. She'll come out right in the end."  
  
"I hop...Of course, of course she will. Good day Harry, Ron." The two friends left, Ron rubbing his chest and staring at harry angrily.   
  
HOW SOON THEY FORGET, THOUGHT DUMBLEDORE. THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME TUNNEL VISION THAT ALL WIZARDS AND WITCHES DEVELOP OVER TIME. BUT NOT HARRY. HE HAS NEVER FORGOTTEN. HE ALWAYS TOOK CARE OF HIS TEAMMATES, NO MATTER WHAT. THATS WHY HE WAS THEIR LEADER. THATS WHY THEY ALL SURVIVED.   
********************  
  
AS soon as they were out of earshot of the hallway, Ron turned to Harry "How can you just let Malfoy get away with this, we've got to..."   
He stopped talking, as people who have been slammed against a wall with their feet dangling 6 inches off the floor are wont to do. "Don't ever speak to me about this again."Harry aid levely "Ever." Harry released Ron's shirt and allowed his feet to slump to the floor. Ron stared speechless as Harry stalked off alone down the corridor.  
  
The next few days passed uneventfully at Hogwarts. The students were largely oblivious to the drama going on behind the scenes of the professors doors, the only difference being that substitutes filled in for most of Hermione's classes. The others did their best to console her, although none of them spoke to Harry much at first. Malfoy soon returned, and Hermione had a relapse, just curled up in bed and shaking. Either Ginny or Ron were with her at all times, and Harry seemed to always be near, whether his presence was wanted or not. He disappeared a few times for reasons of his own, always making sure Ginny or Ron was with her.   
**********  
It was nighttime at Hogwarts. There were few lights on.   
  
Hermione slept fitfully, a light always burning in her room, while Ron dozed, chair propped against her door, hoping she wouldn't wake up screaming and seep soundly for once.  
  
Malfoy was sitting with his chair propped back also, feet up on the table, a glass of wine in his hand. A nearly empty bottle was on the table in front of him.   
  
"They let me off father, do you believe that? The stupid weak fools, although, in this case, I won't begrudge them their folly"   
  
He rocked his chair back down to the table. Unnoticed behind him, his room door opened and closed, slowly and silently as he refilled his glass.   
"Here's to us father. Here's to the day when all the Mudblood bitches will be our playthings. I'll get vengeance for you on the bastards, rest easy."   
  
Unnoticed behind him, a gloved hand appeared out of nowhere, a strange object clutched in the fist. As Malfoy chuckled and guzzled his glass of wine, the hand brought the object swiftly down to the back of Malfoy's neck. There was a spark of electricity, and Malfoy's wine glass shattered as he dropped it against the table. He trembled, as the current from the device flowed through his body, his eyes rolling back in his head, and as the electricity was finally removed, he fell unconscious to the floor.   
  
The hand and device quickly disappeared. The disembodied hand then pulled MAlfoy's wand from his belt, and disappeared it.. Malfoy was efficiently patted down, and a few pocket items were placed on the table. There was a great deal of money, most of which disappeared.   
  
There was a ripping nose, and the hand reappeared with a strip of shiny gray cloth like material, which the hands quickly plastered over Malofy's closed eyes. A pause, and a grunt as Malfoy rose limply off the ground, and came to rest about shoulder height off the ground, and began bouncing off to wards the door, which again opened of its own accord, and then closed. Malfoy was unceremoniously dumped to the ground in the hallway.  
  
The hands then appeared again, and worked silently at the lock with some small bits of metal. Malfoy's door and lock were warded against all but the most powerful of spells, but a simple lock pick however....  
  
Malfoy was again hoisted up with a grunt. He began moving down the hallway, all the way down various dark hallways, until they came to Moaning Myrtles bathroom. Myrtle heard the noise of her door opening, and zipped up to investigate. She saw Malfoy float into the room, hunched up. He then fell to the floor near the end sink. Some muffled hissing was heard, and the sink began dropping into the floor.  
  
"Hermione was a friend of mine" Myrtle said out loud, her voice carrying in the echoes of the bathroom" Therefore, I think this would be a good time to rest back in my pipe." She disappeared with a splash.  
  
"Thanks Myrtle.' was heard from nowhere. Malfoy stirred. The electric device was instantly pressed back against his neck. He tensed and trembled, and then was still again. His body rolled through the hole where the sink was, and landed below with a thud. There was another whoosh and a thud, form nowhere. There was absolute darkness in the tunnel below. There was a brief rustle, and a pair of red glowing lights, like demons eyes appeared, and looked back and forth, then looked down at malfoy. Anyone who could see in the dark would have seen Malfoy carried off down the tunnel, by a figure with a strange cloak and red glowing goggles carrying his still form.  
*********  
After a time, the figure came up to the door.  
  
"Hisshsharassss"   
  
The massive door began to open, grinding against its little used bearings. The Chamber of Secrets was opened for the first time in a decade. There was a cough as the stench washed over the figure, the odor of decaying baelisk was never a pleasant one. The figure with red glowing eyes carried Malfoy through the door, and dumped him unceremoniously on the ground in the middle of the room. And waited, the dripping of the water from the ceiling in the room being the only sound. Malfoy began to stir. Harry could see his target clearly in the green phosphor glow. He pulled the duct tape off of Malfoy's eyes, who screamed into the darkness incoherently as his eyebrows were ripped off.  
  
Harry could see as his still stunned eyes looked wildly around in the darkness.. Harry knew, that unlike himself, Malfoy couldn't see the image of the cricket bat as harry pulled it out from under the cloak. Couldn't see it rise in its arc, and quickly fall with a crunch onto Malefoy's shin.   
  
Malfoy's shriek of pain echoed throughout the chamber. As Malfoy hunched, doubled over, sobbing, holding his shattered shin, he looked up, finally able to notice the glowing red circles looking down at him. "Who...what are you, what are we. For the love of the gods, my leg. Please, I'm begging you!! "  
  
Harry raised the bat again, this time bringing it down on Malfoy's left elbow, shattering the arm, which hype-rexteded to another shriek of agony. Malfoy lapsed into screaming incoherence in the darkness, begging for help, screaming in agony.   
  
Harry thought. At this point, he could still go back. He could leave Malfoy at the bottom of one of the stairs. No one would believe his story about a demon in the darkness. He could choose to show mercy. Malfoy couldn't identify him. No one could. This would probably go in the records as a drunken accident by Malfoy. His arm and leg would be fixed within an hour. Malfoy continued to scream as harry thought. "My god, please, Get me to hospital, the my arm. Why are you doing this, I've done nothing wrong. I haven't done anything !!"   
  
With those words, an icy resolve gripped harry. No. Its time to end this. Malfoy had had his chance. He had had one too many chances. No one does that to my friends. Not on my watch.  
  
Harry viciously kicked Malfoy's shin, which bent outward at a 90 degree angle, like a 2nd knee. Harry started to walk away, as Malfoy screamed his throat raw in pain. He stopped turned back. He reached into his pocket, and brought out a small crystal.  
  
He went back to Malfoy, who was going into shock, and touched the crystal to Malfoy's temple, which flared green in his goggles. It was flashing in time to Malfoy's pulse, if anyone had thought to compare the two. Harry put the crystal in his pocket again. The flash of the crystal had been noticed by Malfoy, who turned groggily to watch the crystal disappear, leaving only the demon eyes, which turned away.   
  
As he heard the footsteps walking away from him, realization began to dawn on his tortured mind.  
  
"No, please, you cant leave me. No, help me, please, I can pay you, my family will pay you, please .' The room echoed to his weeping as he begged. As the door ground shut cutting off his pleadings, the last light Malfoy saw was the glowing red of the demons eyes, disappearing as the door shut on him. Harry hadn't said a word. None were needed.  
  
The less magic the better, thought harry, but I have to do this. He pulled out a piece of sealing wax stuck one price of it to the door, and stuck the other, smaller piece to the base of the crystal that still flared in his visor, pulsing brightly in his goggles. He took a small seal out of his pocket, and pressed it into the doors seal, then into the smaller one at the base of the crystal. The seal then evaporated, and the two pieces of wax instantly hardened. Harry turned and walked away, not looking back.   
*********  
There was a massive investigation, of course. He was from a wealthy family, and such things don't go unnoticed. He missed his own birthday party the next day, which was what got the searching started. His room was found empty, it taking Dumbledore and three other wizards to force the door open magically. His wand was found deep inside the dark forest. Not a trace could be located anywhere near the grounds. It was as if he had stepped off the world.   
All the wands of the students were audited, as were the wands of anyone who had been near the school. A few suspicious spells were discovered as having been used, but those turned out to be the students hiding contraband, such as beer, and in one case, some mildly illegal potions. Lots of detentions. But no evidence of any magical wrongdoing that the forensic investigators from the council could turn up.   
  
They questioned every suspect in Dumbledore's office. Which, meant half the school, since Malfoy was hated by everyone. Harry was one of the first to be interrogated. He glanced at the charm in his hand, which was still pulsing two days after he created it, albeit weaker. He smiled grimly to himself and headed up the stairs to Dumbledore's office. He came in on an argument between Dumbledore and Mrs. Malfoy.   
  
"I know someones done something to him Dumbledore., i know it a mother can tell. It was probably HIM " Pointing at harry " or one of his gang. I know how much they all hated Malfoy."   
  
"Mrs. Malfoy, I am doing all anyone can do. I have had search parties tearing apart the school, and the forest, we have found, alas, nothing since the wand was discovered. There was nothing in his room besides a broken glass and a nearly empty bottle of wine. There hadn't been an magic used in there, behind a locked door, for days. Beyond of course, the trace amount given off by magic devices that are all over the school. Certainly not enough to have killed anyone, much less disintegrated him beyond a trace."  
  
"Harrumph"  
  
"Nonetheless, we are doing everything within our power to discover what happened to your son. As a mater of fact, Harry is here for his questioning in front of the council. If you would like to stay, with your permission, Mr. Potter..."  
  
"Certainly, Professor, I have nothing to hide, and it might put Mrs. Malfoy's mind at ease."  
  
"Let us begin then." Dumbledore waved at the large mirror on his wall. "Ahh, gentlemen, he said as the wizards council cam into focus in the mirror. "Harry, if you pick up the truth crystal and take a seat."  
  
Harry picked up the crystal and sat down. The large crystal ball glowed white in his hand.   
  
"Now, Your name is Harry Potter."  
  
"Yes" The crystal began glowing a brilliant green.  
  
"You are an instructor at Hogwarts"  
  
"Yes" Still glowing green  
  
"You enjoy my slug gumbo stew"  
  
"Yes" the ball glowed red  
  
"Excellent. Calibration completed. Now, to begin the questioning."  
  
"Mr Potter, for the record did you use magic to attack Mr Malfoy?"  
  
"No" Green globe.  
  
"Did you use magic to harm him in any way, what so ever?  
  
"No" Green.  
  
"Did you use magic to remove him from the school or to tele-port him in any way"  
  
"No" green  
  
"Did you use magic against Mr. Malfoy in any way, shape or form?"  
  
"No" green  
  
"You did it, you did something to my Draco, admit it!!!" Screamed Mrs. Malfoy.  
  
Harry turned and looked at her, still holding the globe.  
  
"Mrs. Malfoy, I will be the first to admit, I don't like you son. As a matter of fact, I hate him at a level that most people wouldn't understand. But I didn't kill him, nor did I use magic to kill him or hurt him. I frankly don't give a dam if hes alive or dead, as long as he doesn't hurt my friends ever again. But I know hes alive, somewhere. Maybe the investigation will find him, maybe it wont. Either way, he's out of my hair for the moment, and thats all I really give a dam about. I hope you come out of this with as little hardship as possible, Mrs. Malfoy, but as for your son, I can't lie, I hated the malevolent bastard." He held up the globe which had glowed green throughout his tirade. "Now, is everyone happy with my explanations, can I go now?" He said, holding up the green globe which had barely flickered. After a few minutes of deliberation, Harry was dismissed.   
AS he was walking down the stairwell, he looked at his small charm, which was still weakly glowing. "Still blinded by their tunnel vision. The dumb bastards" Harry mumbled.  
********   
A few weeks passed uneventfully. Hermione was waking up with nightmares less and less, and the constant vigil outside her door had been relaxed, since Malfoy hadn't been seen in weeks, and had been declared missing and presumed dead by the wizards council. Ron had taken to camping out on Hermione's floor in the meantime. Harry and her hadn't talked much since the day in Dumbledore's office. There was still resentment in the group from what harry had said in the meeting.   
  
Harry saw Hermione was sitting alone in the lounge, with the thousand yard stare they had all come to know so well in the past months. Harry pulled out the charm and looked at it. The final gleam had disappeared from it a few days before, when he had fasted the string to it. He went into the lounge.   
"Hermione." She didn't look up. "Hermione, can we talk, please!?!" She didn't move so he sat down nest to her. "Look, Hermione, you cant ..i cant.. you...." He stopped and sighed. "Look at me!!" She slowly turned and focused on him. "Hermione, I cant make it better. I can't make it not have happened. I can't make it go a way. But if you trust me, there is one thing I can do for you."  
  
"....."  
  
"Look, do you trust me?"  
  
"Yes." Was her answer, after some time.  
  
"Here. Take this." He reached up and tied the charm around her neck. "Wear this. I promise you this. Malfoy will never bother you again." She started to say something. He covered her mouth with his hand.   
"Just listen. He will never bother you again. If, by some vanishingly remote chance, he ever comes back, this charm will give you warning. If the crystal stars glowing, or the wax breaks, then you have to worry about running into Draco Malfoy again. Never again until that happens. I give you my word. You don't have to worry about waking up to him standing over your bed again. That much i can fix for you. I had the nightmares, of Voldemort standing over me in my sleep, but I had the scar to warn me. I can give you the same warning I had. Maybe then you can sleep."   
  
He looked at her with worry in his eyes, as she just sat there looking at the charm for the longest time, and then grabbed him in a bear hug and didn't let go.   
  
******  
It was a bright and sunny day out, as the children ran from sight to sight, exploring Hogwarts under the amused eyes of their parents. Susan was keeping up a constant stream of chatter, dragging her little brother, Ronnie Jr along with her.  
" Ohh, is that a ghost, did that painting move, gaah, big spider, hello Mr. painting, were did you live mommy, when can we see Gwiffendowe tower"  
Hermione corrected her,' that s GriFFendore, Susan. pronunciation is important. You'll learn that even more in a few years when you start here as s first year. You and Cedric here will have a ball. But you have to study hard, thats the most important thing."   
  
Cedric was silently following the other two, quiet, as he usually was. Hermione looked at him.  
  
  
"But I'm guessing harry filled you in on lots too. Your dad was always good with magic, but a lousy student. Don't tell him I told you that."   
  
Cedric laughed. "Don't worry, aunt Hermione, I wont."   
  
"Of course," continued Hermione, "your dad was a workaholic compared to your uncle Ron here." They all laughed, except for Ron, who merely looked embarrassed. "Hermione gave him a quick kiss.   
  
"But I didn't marry you for your grades." She said, her eyes twinkling merrily.   
  
"You married him cause hes a mage war hero, right mom?" Chimed in Ronnie jr.  
  
"I married him because I fell in love with him. I married him for everything except his grades." She said with a grin. She suddenly twirled from sharing a smile with her husband.   
  
"And now what do you want to see next? The greenhouses? The Astrology tower? The quiddich field?"   
  
"I want to see the secrets and the basilisk uncle harry killed." Ronnie piped in, and Cedric, as usual, said nothing.   
  
"How can you see anything if its dead? Anyway, we cant get into the chamber. Its sealed, and Only a parsle-tounge like uncle Harry can open it. And hes the only one I know of, and hes in outer Mongolia with your mum Ginny and the twins." She said, nodding to Cedric. Susan and Ronnie looked crestfallen.  
  
Cedric quietly spoke up.  
  
"I'm a parsel-tounge. Just like me da. Hes been teaching me."   
  
Ron and Hermione looked at each other, while Susan and Ronnie started jumping up and down.   
  
"Why not?" Ron mused. "It should be fine. Its been what, twenty years since anyones been down there? Should be safe."   
  
Hermione gave a quick nod, and the excited little group headed off . They then turned around and headed back the other way, as Hermione pointed out to the children who were dragging her, that they in fact, were going in the wrong direction.  
******  
  
  
"Hey, myrtle, yelled Ron, Guess who's here!!?"  
  
Myrtle came boiling up out of a toilette?" Ron?? HERMONIE!!"   
  
She swooped sown, and the women hugged each other, well as close as a ghost and a mortal could get to hugging.  
  
"Ooohhhh, and this is little Susan, and this must be Ronnie jr, and this is" she paused  
  
"Cedric Potter" Hermione supplied.   
  
"Cedric. Well, I'm so happy to meet you all. You mom and harry and Ron here all used to come in here to hide. Like everyone does now. It a regular student lounge here. They bring all there secret little projects in here, and I try to keep them from killing themselves with them, silly buggers. Cheered me up immensely, they did."   
  
"Cheered you up?? You?!?"Ron said incredulous.   
  
"Yes. Well, relatively. Eventually. I'm much better now. Shut up Ron. " She said with a laugh. After a little more chitchat while the kids ran around.  
  
"So what brings you all here anyway?"   
  
Hermione said" Well, Ron and I are back here for a visit, and we thought we'd take Cedric and the kids, give them a look at Hogwarts before they get in here officially.'   
  
Ronnie shouted" And now were gonna go see the secret chamber cause Cedric's a parsley mouth"   
  
"Really." said myrtle, suddenly serious. "Just remember" She cautioned the children, while looking Hermione in the eye,"be SURE to let your PARENTS go first to make sure its safe. Promise me you'll let them go FIRST" The all chimed in a yes, while Hermione and Ron suddenly looked at each other.   
  
"Ok, well then go to it." Said Myrtle.  
  
Ron pointed to the end sink.   
  
'The entrance was just there, Cedric. Harry said he told it to open in parsel-tounge, and it did."   
  
Cedric moved over to the Ron of the sink, while the Weasleys pushed their children behind a partition, and stood behind Cedric, shoulder to shoulder with wands drawn and ready.   
  
"SSSSlsshrrrs" Murmured Cedric.   
  
The sink began to sink, and Ron pulled Cedric out of the way, just in case. The entrance opened, and nothing happened, much to the parents relief.  
  
Ron spoke after a moment. "My dear, if you would"   
  
"Illuminatus"   
  
The tunnel suddenly flooded with a brilliant white light. The children began laughing. Ron and Hermione turned around. There was a shaft of light coming out of every toilette. The parents cracked up.  
  
Ron caught his breath, and completely deadpan said. "You know, you're a little bit scary sometimes. Brilliant, but a little bit scary. You know that don't you."   
Hermione laughed at the ancient joke between them and poked him with her wand.   
  
"Don't make me turn you into a toad again."   
  
Ron laughed and went to the entrance, and then climbed inside. He dropped lightly to the tunnel floor, and looked around, wand at the ready.   
"All clear", he called up, and Hermione slid down, followed by the children.   
  
"Ok, now, everyone hold hands now."   
  
They started down the tunnels, Ron first, followed by Hermione and the children.   
*******  
Ron usually went first into things, old habit form the mage war days, he thought with a grin. He told people it was to protect Hermione. Harry told people it was because he was an "Expendable pain in the arse". The real reason was to trip off whatever danger there was to give Hermione and the team a chance to blast it. Plus, the odds were good Hermione would be able to cure any damn thing that didn't kill him instantly. Besides, out of all of them, Ron was the best at defensive magic. Ron took point, Hermione was quite possible the best mage on the planet, and Hagrid handled anything that didn't respond to magic, usually making it wish it HAD responded to magic. Harry did whatever was needed to get the job done, always. That's why he had command. Well, that was all old history at the moment. He must remember to take the children to see Hagrid's grave. The thought sobered him.  
  
They finally reached the chamber. Ron and Hermione looked it over, and pronounced it clear. Cedric walked up and commanded it  
  
"Shhralshtissah"   
  
The door began to eased open a crack. At the same time, the strange charm that Hermione had been wearing around her neck for as long as anyone could remember made a cracking noise, and the dark crystal fell to the ground as the wax shattered. Hermione bent over to pick up the dark crystal, staring at it in her hand. She looked at Ron, who was already roughly shoving Cedric and the children back behind a rubble fall, and then slowly turned back towards the chamber. They both knew what the charm meant.   
"Stay right here" Ron ordered the children.  
  
"What's going on" asked Susan.  
  
Hermione stood up and turned around, her wand glowing a deep blood red, eyes that were merely pinpoints in the whites, and black lightening was crackling out of her hair.   
  
"You, all THREE of you, you bloody well goddamn stay Right there. DO NOT MOVE until Either Ron or I PERSONALLY walk over here and get you. Don't say a word. If anything goes wrong, run back to myrtle and tell her, shell get help. UNDERSTAND? DO NOT MOVE!!" she commanded.  
  
"yes" they all said. There was a time when you could get away with disobeying mom, there was a time when it was a really bad idea. This was definitely, defiantly one of those times. Ronnie jr wet his pants.  
  
Mommy was loaded for bear and going huntin'.  
  
Ron Sr. had problems of his own. In all the years he had known her, he had never seen her like this. Hell, he had never seen anyone like this. He didn't know anyone could be like this. She was protecting her children from ..what? Well anything. He almost pitied whatever poor bastard crossed her path at the moment. Shit. He had better not be the poor bastard who crossed her path. Not when she was like this, he thought, as her hands began glowing and sparking.  
  
Old habits took over, and she stood off to one side of the door, between the door and the children, the back of Ron's mind thought ,as he approached the door, and gently touched it. Nothing. As he slowly pulled it open, he could feel Hermione getting ready to strike. Nothing.   
"Illuminus"   
The interior of the chamber lit with a sickly glow. He looked down.   
"Oh,.......shit.....um, Hermione, you should see this. It's ok," he added, as he felt the energy radiating from her "Its all ok now."   
She came up to stand beside her husband, still crackling with energy, and looked down the step at the floor of the chamber, where the body was. She slowly discharged.  
  
It looked partially mummified, but they both easily recognized it. As it lay there, one hand with shredded fingertips clutching the other twisted arm to its chest. One leg ..the foot was on backwards. The fingers on the good hand were shredded to the first joint. Ron looked at the bottom of the door, where there were claw marks, with a dark substance caked onto them. There was a half-eaten leather belt there.  
  
"Disentegratis" said Hermione, and the remains vanished.  
  
"He was down here all those years. He must have been down here for, for, for weeks, with the water in here" Ron stammered, as he looked at the puddles all around" "He starved to death. In agony. The broken...The the"   
"Good" Said Hermione viciously. She then collapsed into Ron's arms, who held her tightly for a while.   
"You know" He whispered, only to her "You're just a little bit scary sometimes. That's why I love you." He just held her for a brief eternity. He felt her relax. He kissed the top of her head.   
"You ready to face the world?" He asked. She nodded, snuffling, and wiped her eyes on his sleeve.   
  
"Lets call the kids over, they look panicked"  
  
"No" Corrected Hermione "Lets go get them. Remember, I said to stay there until we personally came to get them. You think they're going to listen this once?"   
  
Ron laughed.  
"Ya think" said Ron as they went over to comfort the frightened children. To reassure them. And to clean up Ronnie Jrs shorts.  
  
After a lot of hugs, and quiet conversation, the children began to explore the chamber.   
*************  
"Mind the basilisk teeth, they're deadly poison" Called Hermione.   
The two of them stood hand in hand, watching the children playing "Harry and Voldemort' in the chamber.  
  
Ron started "All those years, he never said a word. All the crap I gave him about sticking up for Malfoy. I thought the lousy bastard had gotten eaten by something in the forest. All those years."   
  
"He risked Azkaban for me. For all of us." said Hermione as he clutched the crystal in her hand.  
  
"Mind the bloody damned teeth on that thing. I said MIND THE DAMN TEETH. Little bastards're ignoring me again." Ron yelled "You'll be sorry if you get the poison on you! You'll have to drink one of your moms antidotes!!!" The children suddenly froze and carefully moved away from the head of the skeleton. Hermione shot Ron one of her special looks, but couldn't maintain it, collapsing in the giggles.  
  
************  
Ron walked out in the sunlight on the grounds of the Quiddich field, well away from the castle proper. He had shown the children Hagrid's grave and memorial, and told them the real story of how he had died, something they had never heard before. Something no one who wasn't there had ever heard. They promised to never tell anyone until after everyone in the story was gone. He didn't go into the details of what gone meant, they would figure it out when they were old enough.  
  
He figured he had gone far enough. He pulled a small metallic object out of his pocket, with a small glowing crystal on the top of it. He opened it, with a musical note playing from it. He poked it a few times, and then put it to his head and waited.   
  
"Harry? Yeah, Ron here." Pause   
  
"No, no, they're all fine. Having a ball, causing less trouble then we used to. Showed them Hagrid's memorial, told them the tale. They'll understand, in their own good time. We'll keep telling them." Pause  
  
"Yeah they're all good kids. They come from good stock, of course." he said with a laugh  
  
" Yeah, anyway Harry, we stopped down in the chamber. Yeah. Cedric opened it. We, uh, cleaned up the mess in there for you. Nothing to worry bout. Yeah, just like Team Muggle again. Wish we still had Hagrid's flame thrower. That's why I'm calling on the muggletech. Don't want any wizardly ears eavesdropping on us. You're about the only one who still thinks to use these muggletech contraptions. The council still forgets to listen in on anything but mirror chats. How does this work out here in the middle of Hogwarts grounds anyway? " Pause  
  
"Satellites? Oh, you mean the moon. It uses Moonbeams? In daylight?" Pause  
  
"Stop laughing at me. Ok, ok, I remember, any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology" He said with a laugh. He sobered  
  
"Anyway, Harry ,the real reason I called was to say thanks. From both of us. We owe ya." Pause. Laugh  
"Alright, then, Harry, well see ya when we drop off Cedric next month. Give Ginny a kiss for me. Bye."   
  
Harry closed up the device, and looked at it.   
  
'Harry my friend, you're a lot scary sometimes. But there's no one I'd rather have watching our backs."   
  
He started walking the pleasant walk back up to the castle, the bright sun warm on his shoulders. 


End file.
